According to the Hershey Park website, the Sooper Dooper Looper is the first roller coaster with a loop on the East Coast! It's maximum speed according to the site is 45 miles per hour and it has a loop height of 57 feet. The ride is only 1 minute and 45 seconds long and it's track length is 2614 feet. That's only half of a mile! On this page is some interesting information and some calculations that answer all of our questions about this coaster. With the help of some physics, we find potential energy, kinetic energy, the minimum speed needed to complete the loop, and the actual speed at the bottom of the loop.
Here are some of the graphs we got from Data Studio from the data we took at the park. We're going to analyze them.
The above graph is an altitude vs. time graph. It shows us how high we were off the ground during any given moment of the ride. Note that the highest point of the ride is the first hill. This follows all laws concerning potential and kinetic energy. After the first drop, the coaster will never get that high again on its own, unless it is brought up by a chain.
The graph above is the altitude graph of just the loop, zoomed in.
The following graphs are graph of acceleration x, y, and z vs. time. Note that the highest acceleration in magnitude for acceleration x is at the bottom of the loop (around 40.8 seconds).
Analysis:
Velocity at the bottom of loop:
Our measurements:
Loop height (acquired from altitude graph): 17 meters
Fc = Fg
(mv^2)/r = mg
(v^2)/r = g
v = √(gr)
v = √(9.8)(8.5)
vmin = 9.127 m/s or 20.42mi/hr in order to make it around the loop.
Here are the measurements we wrote down while at Hershey Park. These can be used to find the height of the loop.
This is a picture of the angles we got and the distance between the angles.
Finding Maximum Height of the Loop:
h=((sin ø1 x sin ø2)/(sin (ø2-ø1))) x L
ø1=20 deg
ø2=24 deg
L=20 ft or 6.096 m
h=((sin 20 x sin 24)/(sin (24-20))) x 6.096
h=12.157 m or 39.89 ft
The actual height given by the graphs was 17 m. We found the height to be 12.157 m. This difference was probably caused by the angles used. We were probably not far enough away to get better angles.
Sooper Dooper Looper!
By Lindsey, Brittany, Tracy, and Allura.According to the Hershey Park website, the Sooper Dooper Looper is the first roller coaster with a loop on the East Coast! It's maximum speed according to the site is 45 miles per hour and it has a loop height of 57 feet. The ride is only 1 minute and 45 seconds long and it's track length is 2614 feet. That's only half of a mile! On this page is some interesting information and some calculations that answer all of our questions about this coaster. With the help of some physics, we find potential energy, kinetic energy, the minimum speed needed to complete the loop, and the actual speed at the bottom of the loop.
Here are some of the graphs we got from Data Studio from the data we took at the park. We're going to analyze them.
The above graph is an altitude vs. time graph. It shows us how high we were off the ground during any given moment of the ride. Note that the highest point of the ride is the first hill. This follows all laws concerning potential and kinetic energy. After the first drop, the coaster will never get that high again on its own, unless it is brought up by a chain.
The graph above is the altitude graph of just the loop, zoomed in.
The following graphs are graph of acceleration x, y, and z vs. time. Note that the highest acceleration in magnitude for acceleration x is at the bottom of the loop (around 40.8 seconds).
Analysis:
Velocity at the bottom of loop:
Our measurements:- Loop height (acquired from altitude graph): 17 meters
- Loop radius = 8.5 m
KE(bottom) = KE(top) + PE(top)1/2mv^2 + mgh
1/2mgr + mg2r
1/2v(bottom)^2 = (5/2)gr
V(bottom) = √(5gr)
V=√(5gr)
V=√(5*9.8*8.5)
V=20.4 m/s
20.4 m/s --> 45.6 mi/hr
Minimum velocity required to get around the loop:
Fc = Fg(mv^2)/r = mg
(v^2)/r = g
v = √(gr)
v = √(9.8)(8.5)
vmin = 9.127 m/s or 20.42mi/hr in order to make it around the loop.
Here are the measurements we wrote down while at Hershey Park. These can be used to find the height of the loop.
This is a picture of the angles we got and the distance between the angles.
Finding Maximum Height of the Loop:
h=((sin ø1 x sin ø2)/(sin (ø2-ø1))) x Lø1=20 deg
ø2=24 deg
L=20 ft or 6.096 m
h=((sin 20 x sin 24)/(sin (24-20))) x 6.096
h=12.157 m or 39.89 ft
The actual height given by the graphs was 17 m. We found the height to be 12.157 m. This difference was probably caused by the angles used. We were probably not far enough away to get better angles.
Our group...at the park...in the rain!